Motorized ground based wheeled vehicles capable of substantial velocity accumulate significant, essentially linear, kinetic energy during their operation. The achievement of this kinetic energy requires the expenditure of comparatively greater energy units of fuel in order to overcome inertial forces which tend to restrain the mass of the vehicle. Conversely, the attained energy of the mass-velocity is totally lost to the heat of braking and other unrecoverable retardant forces in each velocity deceleration cycle.
Capture of linear kinetic energy resulting from deceleration sources, by use of absorbed flywheel energy, has been attempted with limited success. There have been systems which attempt to overcome the problems of utilizing a workable flywheel energy conservation system by the introduction of continuously variable-ratio transmissions into the power flow path. While working models exist of such systems, they have severe limitations as to size, drag, efficiency, durability, and complexity. That such transmissions are needed is predicated upon the fact that in either power flow direction, the source of energy is caused to lose speed as it transfers energy to the opposing body, either the flywheel to vehicle or the vehicle to the flywheel. In order to work, the system must overcome this physical reality, that is a first mass traveling at an initial velocity, while being drained of energy and thus slowing, must continue to accelerate a second mass. This result must be accomplished while the mass velocity of the first mass, the vehicle, is being used to accelerate the second mass, the flywheel, and conversely while the mass velocity of the flywheel is being used to accelerate the vehicle.